Introduction

The modern library services for young people offers many new adventures and challenges for new professionals in the field. Recent graduates and students of library programs have reported feeling overwhelmed and have expressed a desire for further guidance as they launch their careers. As a result, the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) and the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) submitted a proposal for an Emerging Leaders committee to create a mentoring program for new professionals. The mentoring program would be marketed to current graduate students and new members of the field. It would also serve as an introduction to the American Library Association (ALA) and the divisions of YALSA and AASL, inspiring new recruits to continue serving and contributing their talents to these professional organizations.

After performing a literature review, researching successful mentoring programs, and surveying current graduate students and new members in the field, this committee created a proposal for YALSA and AASL to use as a guide for the creation of the desired mentoring program. This proposal analyzes the specific needs of the mentoring program to fill the aforementioned needs. Using the information gleaned from the literature review and research, the proposal makes recommendations for the organization and operation of the program. Also included is a proposal for an advertising campaign and evaluation mechanism.